In 2016, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) famously advised all sexually active women of reproductive age to refrain from drinking, lest they inadvertently harm a theoretical fetus. That guidance was based in part on the CDC’s estimate that 3.3 million American women were “at risk of exposing their developing baby to alcohol” every month, should they turn out to be pregnant. Now a new study (pdf) published on Jan. 11 in the journal Women’s Health Issues is challenging the CDC’s claim—a finding that sheds light on the judgment and criticism faced by women of childbearing age. A team ...